


Of Noses and Miscommunication

by argentkosmos



Category: Ben 10 Series
Genre: (do i tag this as m/m or other? both? idk), 5 + 1 Things, Feelings Realization, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Gwen is deus ex machina, Interspecies Relationship(s), Kinda, M/M, Mention of blood, Mild Hurt/Comfort, No Angst, Other, Rook/Gwen friendship, and bloody noses, and don't communicate properly, basically rook likes ben's nose, because Ben and Rook are dense, i suck at titles lmao, this is absolutely self indulgent, until they do
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:08:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27339214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/argentkosmos/pseuds/argentkosmos
Summary: Rook watched him turn to the side, unknowingly offering a view of his upturned nose. Sure, it was aesthetically pleasing, Rook thought to himself, but that did not explain his desire to touch it.Or, five times Rook thought about Ben's nose and the time he finally booped it.
Relationships: Rook Blonko/Ben Tennyson
Comments: 8
Kudos: 85





	Of Noses and Miscommunication

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hi, it's me again!  
> And guess what :D :D I FINALLY WATCHED OMNIVERSE AND LOVED IT and i want to kick my past self for being stupid and not watching it earlier.  
> So I watched ov and fell in love with Rook just like Ben did, therefore here I am with 10k of BenRook because I couldn't help myself.  
> English is not my first language so please forgive my mistakes and point them out to me so I can correct them.  
> See you at the bottom, enjoy!

I.

Rook Blonko had always been pretty curious for a Revonnahgander and that was one of the reasons he decided to attend Plumber’s school. There was thirst for justice and determination to make a difference, but there also was the irrepressible desire to know and discover more about that universe, so vast and now at hand’s reach.

He had come to know countless alien’s species at the academy, with their peculiar shape and colors, some perfectly bald, some covered in slime, or metal… or whatever other material was present in their part of the galaxy. Thus, there were very few things capable of impressing him.

Or so he thought, at least until he was called to work at Ben Ten’s side. It would be quite the understatement to say he was thrilled to cover such an important role, Ben Ten was the hero who saved the universe countless times and he was said to be a charismatic and sharp minded being, strong and ready to face every obstacle he might have encountered.

After just a few days of knowing him, Rook came to the conclusion that most of it was made up. Sure, Ben had his personal ways of being charismatic and, despite him giving Rook a hard time, Rook still did not want to call him stupid, not when Ben had managed to get himself out of apparently hopeless situations. It was still pretty underwhelming in comparison to what he was taught.

There was yet another thing he did not expect, and it was to feel the flames of curiosity ignite again within himself.

He had known humans before, a high number too, but he never got close enough to them, never enough to call them friends and that was a valid reason to keep himself from dwelling over their look.

Although they still sported two arms and two legs like any other Revonnahgander, their body was completely furless except for some sparse and fine hair all over their skin which thickened on certain areas (he read about it) and it was weird to the touch. It felt a little like touching a new born, with their soft, short fur, it reminded him of the first time his parents let him hold Rook Shar.

Also, human’s eyes were white, except for the iris, which changed from individual to individual, just like the fur on the top of their head.

The thing he found most bizarre though, was the strange appendage on the centre of their faces. He was pretty sure their skull did not have bones there and for a long time he found himself wondering how that might feel.

Then he just decided to stop dwelling on those thoughts, it was unproductive and not important and, at the end of the day, humans were just one of the countless species populating the universe, with their oddities just like every other.

Still, all it took was couple weeks on earth to make him change his mind. Now that he was working with humans on daily basis, his interest towards that piece of flesh, seemingly superfluous, was only getting stronger and stronger.

He did not really understand why it was so different from human to human, why some were long and some were flat, or arched downward or upwards. And mostly, he did not understand why did they exist, given that most alien’s species (his own included) were perfectly able to breathe without it.

Ben’s appendage, his nose, was certainly interesting. Rook had noticed it was identical to Gwendolyn’s one, but different from Magister Tennyson’s one, while being very similar to his father’s one. So maybe Ben had inherited it from his Anodite relative. Did Anodites even have noses?

Lost into his own mind, comfortable in the shade provided by one of Mr. Smoothie’s parasol, he did not even notice he was staring at Ben’s face again. The boy was busy gulping down a large sip of the ice-cold substance he seemed to love so much, wincing when the freezing sensation reached his brain. Rook watched him turn to the side, unknowingly offering a view of his upturned nose. Sure, it was aesthetically pleasing, Rook thought to himself, but that did not explain his desire to touch it. He yet again blamed it on his curiosity, telling himself that he should just ignore it and to stop staring at Ben before he was caught.

“Rook, did you freeze?”

Too late. His partner’s voice cut through his thoughts and his eyes started to focus on the entirety of Ben’s face and not just his nose. It was quite a strange question. Rook did not feel any colder than a few minutes before.

“No Ben, my body temperature is perfectly average” he replied, voice calm despite his confusion.

Ben smiled at him, scrunching his nose so that a few lines appeared at its sides. "It’s an expression, dude, because you were staring at me and not moving and you know how frozen things don’t move and look lifeless?”

Rook felt his ears turn warm. “Oh, sure.” He diverted his gaze before making any more of a fool of himself. “I understand, I am sorry if I worried you, I was lost in thoughts.”

Ben just hummed in response, taking another big sip of his smoothie form the straw and frowning when he realized there was only air left. He ogled at Rook’s untouched one. “Are you gonna drink that?”

With a sigh, Rook pushed his cup towards him. “I am not thirsty, you can have it.”

*

II.

He was positive that, had he been forced to stay in that place for more than a few minutes, he would have puked. He checked the time on his wristwatch just to confirm that Ben was almost twenty minutes late, despite how much Rook had stressed that it was an important matter. The foul smell of rotten fish was unbearable and Rook was almost tempted to abandon the mission and go back to the Plumber’s Head Quarters, but he knew his conscience would never let him do something like that. Which was why he was still crouched behind a pile of putrefied fishing, spying on Fistrick and his thugs who were loading suspicious looking bundles onto a small fishing boat. He hoped his tip was right (but he also knew Fistina was perfectly capable of lying just to talk to him).

Since his partner had failed to arrive on time, Rook decided he could not sit still anymore. He did a quick scan of the place, looking for props he might have had the need to use during a fight. There was a lot of water, some usured fishing nets and the smooth wall of a containers’ garage, but he knew he could make it work.

He grabbed his Plumber’s badge, because it was required by protocol that the first attempt to approach any potential criminal had to be peaceful if there was no violence involved in the first place. “As a Plumber I am asking you to state the nature of your activities” he announced.

Liam, the giant chicken, made a surprised sound, letting one of the packages drop to the ground and Fistrick perched up, turning his head around to look at Rook. “Hey bro! Relax, everything’s in order” he yelled. He gestured Rook to come closer, offering him a sheet of paper that he from under one of the bundles.

Rook lifted his fingers from the trigger of the proto-tool without lowering it and moving a few steps toward the suspect.

He did not exactly know what to expect but the moment he was close enough to see what was written on the paper, he felt a stinging smell piercing his nostrils. It was a prickly feeling in the back of his throat, making his eyes water and his breath cut off. Maybe the cause was his overdeveloped sense of smell, because the others seemed to not be susceptible to that substance.

“Step away from the cargo!” he still tried to order, but the only response was a laugh.

“Bro I don’t know what’s happening to you but should’ve thought twice before getting in the way, we’re legit, it’s on you not us!”

Rook wanted to tell them that no, it was not “on him” because if Ben had arrived in time, he would not have had to intervene late and alone, but whatever was in those bundles had saturated the air and he was starting to gasp for oxygen.

He was about to surrender and accept that his mission was not going to be accomplished, that he was going to be left on the same dock for who knew how many hours before someone could find him, with the bitter taste of defeat on his tongue and the voice in his head ranting against his unpunctual partner.

“And you think I’ll let you go that easily?”

Rook’s ears recognized the familiar voice and he only had time to see Ben transform into Atomix before succumbing and collapsing on the humid concrete.

He woke up in a somewhat upright position, his back propped against one of the nearby containers. The first thing he noticed was the lack of stinging and burning on his skin and mucosae, the second was the ever-horrible smell of fish clinging to his armor and the third, when he finally managed to open his eyes and grow accustomed to the sun shining on his corneas, was Ben’s face watching him closely.

Rook coughed. “You are late.” He wanted the tone of his voice to be more accusing, but he only managed to sound relieved.

Ben shrugged and smiled, the same smile he always gave Rook and made the Revonnahgander want to avert his eyes. “You know I’m a worldwide famous hero! People stop me on the streets to acclaim me!”

And Rook should have been tired of hearing him say that every time, but he knew how much pressure Ben had to bear and he knew that emphasising his status only served as a way to make it all less scary. He still frowned though. Worldwide hero or not, Ben was required to be in time for their missions.

Sensing his annoyance, Ben was quick to clarify. “Okay, fine, no one stopped me, but there was a family stuck in a burning building, I couldn’t leave them there!”

Rook sighed. He could not be annoyed at him for that, could he? Ben had done the right thing.

He shook his head to clear his mind from a pulsing echo, consequence of the biochemical shock he was subjected to, and pressed his hands to his eyes, still surprised to find them not burning anymore. “I do not know what happened to me…”

Ben sat back on his heels, but kept one of his hands in a comforting squeeze on Rook’s shoulder. “It wasn’t a dangerous cargo, just concentrated capsaicin for… I didn’t actually catch what for, but they had a permit” he explained.

Nodding to himself, Rook thought of scolding Fistina for giving him wrong information, but decided against it because she probably did not do it on purpose and had actually tried to help them.

“I understand… that explains it.”

“What explains what?”

Rook rubbed his eyes again. “Revonnahgander do not like that compound, but I had never heard of anyone exposed to such a high concentration…” he finally looked at Ben, taking in his confused face. “It is the same compound that makes food spicy, it is the reason I do not enjoy Chili Fries” he added.

Ben took a few second to process his words. “Oh… are you, like, allergic?” he asked.

In all honesty, Rook did not know if it was an allergy, capsaicin on Ravannah was only found in rotten Amber Ogia fruits, so his species naturally evolved not to eat it. “Something like that.”

“Good thing I created a nebulization to clean your eyes and airways” Ben was smirking in that smug way of his Rook found insufferable.

He squeezed Rook’s shoulder once again. “You should feel better now.”

But actually, Rook did not mind his face that much anymore.

“I do feel better, Ben, in fact I feel a lot better. Thank you.”

When Ben smiled at him again, he found himself focusing on the small lines around Ben’s nose, stained with grey ashes. He wanted to brush it away with his finger and was about to lift his hand in that direction when Ben widened his eyes and his nostrils flared, curving upwards while he took a deep breath. It was comical, with his mouth pursed in a disgusted sneer.

“You’re welcome, dude, but now you need a shower! You stink!”

With a resigned sigh, Rook pushed him away to get up.

*

III.

When Magister Tennyson told his he was relieved of his duties for a whole week, Rook thought he had done something wrong. It had been Magister Patelliday to explain him what happened.

It seemed Ben had caught a very bad flu, one that forced him in bed, so Magister Tennyson decided to give Rook a week off too, telling him to go visit his family on Ravannah or even Rook Shar at Plumber’s school.

Nonetheless, Rook chose to stay on Earth for that time. He figured he could go explore a little more, without the weight of responsibilities on his shoulders. He could work out at the gym at the Head Quarters, he could add some new gadget to his proto-tool, maybe he could also visit another car show with Kevin. He did some of those things, he also spent several hours laying in his bed contemplating the roofing of his room and wondering what was wrong with him and why was he feeling so unmotivated.

He called Rayona one of those night, in hope that hearing from her could restore his liveliness, but did not go how he expected it to. They both talked for some time, she told him about life on Ravannah, how she was preparing for the harvest and how she was a little sad that Rook could not be there for the festival, and Rook couldn’t help but feel guilty for that. And yet it reminded him of why he had chosen to leave Ravannah, how tired he had been of that life being the same over and over, day after day and year after year.

When it was his turn to tell her about his day, Rook found he did not want to say that he spent most of it being lazy. Instead, he told her he had worked out, flexing a bicep and making her smile bashfully. A whole fiasco, he had to admit.

The worst thing was that Rook, since he was a young one himself, had always been good at being by himself, at following orders and entertaining himself without the need of others. And now he just could not.

After almost two full days of boredom, something finally stirred him from that awful lethargy.

He was laying in his bed, again, mind working in search for new ideas to apply to his weapon. He snapped out of it to the sound of a soft vibration followed by a cheerful and generic song cutting through the silence in his room.

Magister Tennyson, under Ben’s request, provided Rook with one of those cell phones human used, but no one ever called him, not even his partner, partly because they were together most of the time and when they weren’t Ben was usually resting or pursuing his hobbies. Still, most of the calls he ever received were from Ben Tennyson’s contact, but that was because of all the times his mother called to inform them Ben had forgot his own phone.

It was not a surprise to read his partner’s name on the screen, paired with a photo Ben took of himself the first day Rook got the phone. Rook smiled upon seeing it, because Ben had captured himself too close to the camera and ended up looking like he was about to be squished against the lens.

He swiped right to take the call.

“Hello, this is Rook Blonko, how can I help you?” he said in a serious tone.

A hoarse laugh ringed on the other side of the device, followed suit by coughing.

_“Dude no need to be so formal, it’s just me.”_

Ben’s voice was not even that different to how it normally sounded, just raspier. Rook could not do anything to stop an odd thrill from filling his limbs.

“Hello Ben. It has already happened that you forgot your cell phone at home and I would not want to sound unpolite if it was your mother” he reminded Ben, but he was smiling. Even though Ben could not see him.

Some more coughing. _“Yeah, yeah, fine.”_ There was rustling, most likely bed sheets being moved around, before Ben spoke again. _“By the way, Sumo Slammer’s marathon starts in an hour and you told me you wanted to watch it with me!”_

Correct, Rook thought with a sigh. “I did say that, you are right.”

 _“Sooo?”_ Ben stretched out the word, chanting it like a baby.

Was it a smart idea to go to Ben’s house while he was sick, with the risk of catching some nasty human virus? No, but Rook decided he was going to ask himself another time why it only took that to get him up and active again.

He got on his feet, slowly to avoid getting dizzy, and started to look for comfortable clothes inside his closet. He did not know which might be the dress code for a movie afternoon with your sick partner, but figured he did not need to wear the armor for once.

“I will be there” he then said.

 _“Oh, didn’t think you’d be so easy to convince… good for me.”_ Ben laughed, his breath cutting into even more coughing. _“See you later, then”_ he added with a thin voice.

Rook smiled again, this time to his own reflection in the mirror, fixing tufts of fur tousled by his pillow. “See you later.”

And that’s how he found himself behind Ben’s room’s door barely half an hour later.

Sandra had welcomed him as warmly as always, offering him a diet vegan snack and giving him an energy bar for Ben, since his flu did not allow him to eat normal food.

Crossing the entrance of Ben’s room was always able to make his heart ache, because he already knew the mess he would find inside and despite it not being his problem and certainly not his responsibility to clean, Rook still felt the urge to tidy the room and give it back some sense.

He was glad to see that Ben’s room was pretty clean this time. There were a few of his clothes on the moquette, a good amount of used tissues scattered everywhere, but it was far from the actual chaos Ben was able to create.

The room was dimly lit by the TV. Its volume was much lower than average and gentler on Rook’s sensitive hearing.

The only things giving away Ben’s presence in the room were Sumo Slammer’s theme song from the TV and a shapeless lump under the pile of sheets and blankets on the bed, with locks of brown hair sticking from the top.

“Ben?” he carefully asked, taking a few little steps on the moquette.

The lump of blankets moved and grunted. “Mh, who’s there?” was the answer in a thin voice, before a pair of glassy eyes peeked over the duvet. “Oh, hi Rook.”

“Hello, Ben” he greeted his partner and extended his hand to offer Ben the energy bar Sandra gave him. “You mother said you have to eat it all.”

He watched Ben frown and free himself from his cocoon just enough to grab the snack from Rook’s fingers. “Thanks dude… and thanks for coming too…”

Sitting on the spinning chair, Rook watched him gravely. “You do not need to thank me, as your partner and your friend it is my personal pleasure to spend time with you outside work hours.”

Under Ben’s gaze, Rook wanted to take it all back. He made it weird, did he not? Why was it so hard to learn human’s customs? He was about to apologize and explain that he did not know how to properly respond yet, but Ben cracked a smile at him. “It’s my personal pleasure too” he said, lips curving in amusement and affection, Rook dared to think. That smile that was capable to fill him with warmth, just as Ben’s voice had done before over the phone.

“And look who’s not wearing an armor today!” Ben pointed out, scanning him from head to toe.

Rook lowered his gaze to the dark pants he was wearing and the black shirt with the bright green Mr. Smoothie's logo on it, the one Ben insisted to get him for his birthday. He had left his jacket on the coat hanger in the entrance and wished he had not for a brief moment. “Is it not appropriate?” he asked right after.

Ben shrugged. “Nah dude, you look good. Besides, it’d be weird to be in my pajamas while you're armed to the teeth, you look much more normal like this” he stopped to think about it. “minus the fur, I guess” he then concluded.

Rook furrowed his brow, not sure if he had to take it as a compliment. “Thank you, I guess” he said.

“You’re welcome.”

Ben closed his eyes and his hands fiddled with the plastic wrap of his energy bar, succeeding in opening it only after a few trials. He stuck his head over the blankets and set them under his chin, biting a piece of the snack and chewing it slowly.

And Rook, for the umpteenth time (he was not counting anymore) could not stop himself from staring at him. His skin was paler under the red stains from rubbing it against the pillow and his face was skinnier and not as lively as Rook remembered it to be.

The reddest part was definitely his nose. Still cutely upcurved, but a little swollen and Rook wanted to pinch it with his fingers. Ben rubbed it with the sleeve of his pajamas, before leaning towards his bedstand to get another tissue.

Without thinking about it too much, Rook got it for him, handing it out the same way he did with the energy bar and when Ben smiled at him, Rook thanked his fur because he felt like his ears were catching fire.

To his eyes, that human boy was not unpleasant to look at, not even in that state and it was the worst thing he could have had realized in that exact moment. Ben was still attractive to him even with his face pale and rubbed red, even with his nose swollen and scruffy hair.

He thought of Rayona, eyes still trained on Ben’s figure now that he turned his attention to the TV. Rook never saw her sick, well it was not like he saw her much anyway. Their relationship turned a bit sterile and the only reason Rook had not broken up with her yet was because he still considered her as a dear friend. It was not her fault Rook did not feel the same as he did before and she did not deserve a light-years-distance break up. Then again, all the romantic movies sad it was a bad idea to break up over the phone.

Point was, Rook felt happier at the idea of spending time with Ben, he even went as far as turn down a visit to his family and his girlfriend when he had been told Ben was sick. He thought back at those last days, at how he wanted to go on a field trip without having to worry about alien attack, maybe visit a museum again, but the mere idea of not being able to share those experiences with Ben had left him sad. No, there had to be something more than just worry.

He averted his gaze from Ben’s face just to let it land on one of his hands resting over the duvet. With his palm down, with that odd reticule of veins on the back of his hand, the tendons of his fingers twitching under furless skin every time Ben unconsciously moved them.

Rook stretched out his own hand to place it beside Ben’s. And maybe if he had been braver, he would have moved it to cover Ben’s hand.

Hie eyes travelled up. His partner’s profile was distinct, illuminated by the liquid crystal screen.

Maybe next time, he told himself.

*

IV.

Rook noticed the green light preceding Ben’s retransformation to his human form, but he was too busy fighting a Forever Knight to intervene. They were attacked on the docks of the rived, while they were on patrol in Undertown and, as per usual, Ben’s Omnitrix decided to throw a tantrum, retransforming his owner back every few seconds. Ben had most likely slept over it again and turned on some new automatic function.

The flash of light was followed by Ben’s frustrated grunt and the loud noise of something colliding with the ground. Rook dared to look that way, right where the second knight had stuck his spear in the floor in the same place where, Rook assumed, Ben was just seconds ago.

He found the human a few yards away, crouched to the side with the his Omnitrix wielding wrist close to his chest.

Rook was about to jump in his direction and move him even further away from the battle until the watch recharged, but was distracted by a blow of the spear that almost hit him.

There was another flash of light and the familiar sound of the Omnitrix activating and he thought maybe they could win that fight without getting too messed up.

He rolled to the side shooting his proto-tool, but the knight’s armors had to be implemented to resist lasers bullets because not even a dent was left on the metal.

“Stop jumping around like an insect, let me crush you!” the Knight laughed, voice distorted under the helm, while he charged at Rook. He dodged that next attack and decided to switch strategy. If laser bullets were not enough, then it was time for his laser blade. With a skilled movement he altered his proto-tool and blocked the Knight’s attack. “I will ask for the last time, lay down your weapons and surrender or you will be forcibly arrested in accordance to Plumber’s law.”

He only got a laugh as an answer and the Knight showed no sign of planning a retreat, so Rook decided it was not time for diplomacy anymore.

He managed to land some blows, scratching the armor and even destroying the spear. He was about to hit him one last time, to the helm, but a piercing scream he knew too well made his focus suddenly shift from his opponent to his partner.

He stopped with his blade about to collide with the helm of the Knight, laying on the ground with his armor cracked and unarmed.

Rook studied the slits in the metal and he knew he was not worth it, not if Ben’s life was in danger.

He called Ben’s name upon seeing him. He was standing in front of the other Knight, both hands pressed to his face, blood dripping between his fingers and on his chin. The Knight had his spear pointed at him, his helm was almost completely cracked along its temples, sign that Ben had been able to hold his own for a little before being turned back to human. “Die, Ben Tennyson!” the man yelled. His arms lifted the weapon and he was about to down it on Ben. Rook did not even think before putting himself between them, his proto-tool steady in his hands, successfully blocking the spear even if his shoulders trembled. He charged at the Knight right after, hitting him on his helm where it was cracked. The metal cried and deformed under his blade, the helm being hurled away by the strength of that blow, making the man drop senseless to the floor.

Without sparing him another glace, Rook turned to look at Ben, now kneeled on the ground.

He was still holding his face with both of his hands and blood was still dripping, now reaching the collar of his shirt, hands stained to the wrists. “Ben?”

“ ‘m fine…” Ben tried to answer, voice muffled buy his own hands pressing on his mouth. “It’s just a stupid bloody nose…”

“It’s not stupid, Ben, I’ve seen bloody noses before and that is too much blood for it to be normal, you need to go back to the Head Quarters as soon as possible. There has to be some Galvan technology that can help you recover quickly.”

Ben’s eyes widened and Rook was almost expecting him to point out his use of contraction, yet Ben just removed one of his hands from his face to point at the two unconscious Knights. “Them?”

Now that Rook could actually see the damage, he felt his fur stand at the back of his neck. The bottom part of Ben’s face was covered in blood, already coagulating on his skin, his nose was swollen and his cheekbones were covered in cuts and bruises. Rook activated his Plumber’s badge. “This is Magister Rook Blonko, I have two unconscious criminals and Ben Tennyson is moderately to severely injured, Undertown sector five.” Then he looked at Ben. “Now they will be taken care of.”

Ben tried to huff, always the one to pretend nothing could hurt him, but ended up coughing and moaning in pain when more blood spurted out of his nostrils.

“Keep your head tilted downwards, so the blood will not reach your throat, I will get some ice” Rook said.

Ben did not answer but leaned forwards with a hiss, his free hand pressing on the ground to support his weight.

When Rook returned, he gently brought his own hand on Ben’s forehead, his finger threading lightly through Ben’s hair to make him lean on his shoulder. With his other hand, he circled Ben’s wrist and moved his fingers away from his nose, softly pressing the ice on it instead and feeling the shape of Ben’s swollen nose through the ice pack.

He knew the procedure, he was trained exactly for situations like that one and it was not the first time someone on his team had been injured, but Rook had come to accept that his brain refused to be fully rational when it came to Ben. He recalled his first aid knowledge, feeling Ben starting to collapse against his shoulder.

“Are you having trouble breathing?”

Ben winced. “My right nostril feels stuffed.” He had his eyes closed and his whole body was starting to come down his adrenaline rush, muscles slowly relaxing.

Stuffed nostrils were not a good sign. He could breathe through one, so Rook did not have to worry about Ben fainting in his arms due to lack of oxygen, but he was still hoping backup could come soon. He could not risk Ben’s other nostril to fill with coagulated blood too. “Breathe through your mouth and spit the blood if you feel it in your throat.” Without realizing it, Rook had started to rub his fingers on Ben’s scalp in an attempt to comfort him. Ben nodded weakly and opened his lips to let the air through.

“Headache” he muttered a second later.

And that was pretty normal too, since he had suffered a moderate head injury. It was good that he hadn’t fainted or vomited yet. “Stay strong, backup is almost here.”

Ben nodded again and Rook started to focus on the sound of his labored breath, hand still softly brushing his hair.

“Rook?”

“Yes?”

“Am I going to have a crooked nose?”

At that, Rook sighed in relief, because if Ben was still able to say things like that, then everything was going to be okay. “No, I do not think that is even a possibility” he said, smiling.

*

V.

Movie nights with Gwendolyn and Kevin were nice. That night in particular, they had stuffed their faces with pizza, a type of human food Rook was particularly fond of, while watching a movie which, Ben said, was “fucking dope!”.

Kevin was not excited about it, “Not a big fan of splatter” he had explained (not that Rook knew what was he talking about), but he agreed to watch it anyway because Gwendolyn liked it.

It did not take too much time to grasp what the movie was about. It was focused on a group of people trying to escape a new virus that made humans incapable of rational thinking, filling their mind with the desire to eat their own kind into extinction. A few minutes in and he had already seen a fair share of intestines and chopped limbs and now he was starting to understand what Kevin was referring to when he mentioned “splatter”.

The boy had not able to endure even the smallest spurt of blood, turning to the side after a few minutes with a disgusted wince and Gwendolyn gave him a worried look. Eventually, Kevin had just laid his head on his girlfriend’s lap, enjoying her comforting touch on his scalp, eyes closed and earbuds to protect him from the sounds. Rook thought that was a good compromise for Kevin, so that he could spend time with them without having to feel sick.

The movie was interesting, definitely good at keeping the audience’s attention up with action scenes followed by calmer ones, it was enjoyable and despite the characters being sometimes stereotyped Rook still found them intriguing.

He was so immersed in the dark atmosphere the show created, that he did not even notice how Ben, sitting beside him on the sofa, had started to slowly fall asleep. He realized it the moment he saw Ben’s head starting to slump forward in his peripheral vision. Every time the boy picked it up and shook it to get rid of the sleepiness, but he eventually just let himself be supported by the pillows, closing his eyes.

What Rook was not expecting was Ben’s weight resting on his own body and one of his legs curled against Rook’s thigh. It was not unpleasant, Rook was out of the denial phase, it was not unpleasant to have Ben pressed against himself, it was not unpleasant to have Ben’s head almost fully turned to his neck and Ben’s breath lightly ruffling his fur.

Rook thought the position had to be uncomfortable for Ben, since he knew he was not exactly soft despite the amount of hair on his body, but Ben had snuggled up to him that way and he did not want to move him.

He brought his eyes back to the show, where the protagonist was crashing one of the zombie’s skull. He tried to use that as a distraction to ignore every little movement Ben did, every puff of air from his nose and the smell of him.

The movie came to an end just minutes later and Rook found himself getting frustrated at the credits because it meant his time with Ben was coming to an end too when all he wanted was to lift his arm and let the boy adjust better, hold him and let him rest like that for the night. It was a stupid idea and Rook was not going to do any of that, but he still wished he could. He was also concerned about waking Ben up and ruining the moment. Not to mention Gwendolyn’s stare heavy on his shoulder like a blanket made of static energy. He did not know if it was because of her mana surrounding him or if it was just his imagination, he only knew he absolutely did not want to show uncomfortableness in front of her.

Unfortunately, Ben chose that exact moment to move and slide with his forehead almost touching Rook’s neck. Rook inhaled sharply.

“You do know I can read you aura, right?” Gwendolyn asked a few seconds later.

Startled, Rook shifted his attention to her and sighed. “I was hoping you would not point it out.”

She smiled at him, her fingers never stopping their pattern through Kevin’s hair, tracing his features every now and then. “As you friend, it’s my duty to tease you.”

Rook frowned, he knew about that, had picked it up pretty fast once he transferred on earth. “I did not know a friendship required this type of duties, it must have slipped my mind” he still teased back to hide his nerves.

Sensing the shifting in his aura, Gwendolyn was quick to express concern. “I won’t do it if it makes you uncomfortable” she said.

Rook took some time to think about it. He was not uncomfortable, not exactly, and not because of Gwen’s words anyway. He was pretty sure she somewhat knew about the new nature of his feelings towards Ben. Even Kevin seemed to be aware of that and Rook wondered how it could be that Ben was still oblivious. He smiled to himself. Ben was Ben, he had known him for a few years now and that boy was never the best at understanding romantic relationships.

Not that theirs was a romantic relationship, he corrected himself right after. Rook wanted it to be, though.

He shook his head as much as he could without disturbing Ben. “I am not uncomfortable, just taken aback.”

Gwendolyn lowered her gaze upon Kevin’s sleeping face and she kept silent for seconds, twirling a strand of his dark hair around her finger. Rook observed her relaxed expression, peaceful as she looked at the person she loved, asleep and surrendered to her. Rook wondered if he had the same look in his eyes whenever he looked at Ben.

“The first time I realized I loved Kevin” she started “was the day he avenged his father.” Her green eyes studied every little detail of that face resting on her lap, a small smile curving her lips. “There was an explosion and for a few seconds, the longest seconds of my life, I thought he was dead.”

She looked at Rook with the same intensity in her eyes he only even recalled seeing during battles, and even under the dim light coming from the street lamps through the window glass, her eyes managed to shine. “And the first time I told him I loved him was when we came back from the Null Void.”

Rook could perfectly remember her voice when she asked Ben if he thought Kevin only got close to her to accomplish the mission he was programmed to, but he could not understand why she was telling him that.

“I was waiting for the right moment, both times” she continued “but it never came and now I have to associate them with two of the most traumatic experiences in my life.” She didn’t look sad, just resigned and Rook was beginning to understand what she wanted to convey. He was not sure he was ready.

“If you too are waiting for the right moment, know it will never be right enough. There won’t be a day you’ll wake up thinking ‘today’, so if you have something to say, just say it.”

Gwendolyn was still smiling at him, a kind smile, lips curled and eyes sweetly crinkled.

Rook averted his gaze to Ben’s sleeping face, the way his cheek was pressed up against Rook’s shoulder, with his mouth ajar and his nose tickling Rook’s neck. Rook wanted to trace his features just like Gwendolyn had done to Kevin, brushing his fingers along Ben’s forehead and his nose, his nostrils and his lips. He also wanted to caress his hair just for the sake of it and he was tired of having to conceal his desire to show him affection.

He looked at Gwendolyn again. “I will try.”

*

VI.

“Nooo!”

Rook did not even try to hide the victorious grin blossoming on his face as he let his controller slide across the coffee table in the common area. Ben fell back on the sofa, arms crossed over his chest and lips pursed in a pout.

“How are you so good at videogames?! You don’t even have videogames on Ravannah!”

Rook turned to him, only to be met with a scowl. “I am a fast learner and you should know by now.”

“Stop being a smartass!”

“Then stop behaving like a child and accept defeat.”

“I want a rematch!”

“This was the rematch.”

“Then I want a re-rematch!”

Rook shook his head and reached towards him, trying to get the other controller out of Ben’s hands. It was late, past one AM, and Ben was supposed to be home soon but was having none of it, squishing himself against the further armrest to escape Rook’s long arm trying to grab his hand. “Just one more!”

Rook knew he was not going to win the conversation like that, so he considered other ways to approach the problem. One, he could forcibly take the controller out of Ben’s hands which would result in him getting mad and activating the Omnitrix to find an alien in order to get it back. Second, he could have conceded him another rematch, which would lead to Rook winning again and to Ben asking for one more game, and so on in an infinite loop until one of them just fell asleep or surrendered. Three, he could try and convince him with words, Rook had always been quite the diplomat, after all.

“Ben, I understand your bellicosity, but I also think it would be better for you to go back home and rest, it is not good for you to lose sleep, since you do not get much to begin with” he tried, earning himself an unconvinced look.

“I can rest here too” Ben objected.

It had happened before that Ben chose to sleep on that same sofa, especially when he was younger and they came back late from missions, it was never a problem. The problem was that he always went to knock on Rook’s door in the morning to catch some more sleep after the common room started flooding with people. He often ended up crashing on Rook’s unmade bed while Rook himself got ready for the day. Rook was okay with it, always had been because he knew how hard Ben worked and he deserved sleep, but now it did not feel right to let him do that. Since he developed feelings for Ben, it had started to feel too intimate to let him sleep in his bed and although Rook surely desired that level of intimacy, he had not yet acquired it (did not know if he ever would, too).

And so, he just resigned to carry on with his strategy. “I believe it would be more optimal for you to sleep in your own bed.”

He examined Ben for a few seconds, lingering on his pursed lips and squinted eyes, his face overall displeased. He sighed. “It is late, Ben, you should go back home.”

Ben, to his great surprise, let his controller go but did nothing to indicate an imminent departure, still on the sofa without any intention of moving. “Do I annoy you that much?” he asked instead.

Rook blinked, not understanding. Or well, he did understand, but he could not believe Ben just said it like that. Of course Ben, clueless Ben, had come to that conclusion, no matter how far from the truth it was. Rook suspected it might be his own fault, too.

Both during working hours and the few times they saw each other outside of work, he had been actively avoiding Ben, spending as little time alone with him he could manage to. He had not done it out of maliciousness, he just thought that seeing Ben less could help him clear his mind about his feelings and find a way to finally confess. The plan retorted against him, because he only managed to miss Ben more and feel like an idiot because he was still not able to find the right words. And, just as Gwendolyn had said, he still could not find the right moment either. They were always on the go, fighting enemies, solving matters of intergalactic relevance and once they could breathe and rest, Rook did not feel like talking about that. He did not know how to introduce it either, if he was being completely honest, days after days of thinking and he had not come any closer to a solution. It was not like he could go up to Ben and just say ‘I like you’ like it was something expected, something both of them knew and just had to be verbalized.

The night they just spent together had been enjoyable. Like the old times, Ben said when he first arrived to the Head Quarters a few hours prior and Rook did not hide his enthusiasm at the thought of spending some time with him without having to worry about being attacked.

It had been good, until now that is, but Rook could not blame Ben for something he had no idea about.

He cleared his throat. “No, of course not. You’re my partner.”

Ben cocked an eyebrow at that, scepticism evident in his face even when only a single muscle was moved. “Then why are you trying to make me leave?”

“Because I simply think it would be better for you to go home tonight” Rook reiterated like a broken record, unable to find another excuse since there was not one.

Ben’s eyes sharpened while looking at him, scrutinizing him like never before. Rook felt like Ben was trying to read his aura the same way Gwendolyn did (with a shiver, he was remined of the fact that Ben had Anodite blood somewhere in him too).

“And I suppose you avoiding me has nothing to do with this?”

Rook was not expecting Ben to bring that up. “I am not avoiding you” he stupidly denied. Ben could be a little oblivious at times, but he certainly was not stupid and Rook had not been good at hiding his behaviour from him. “As a Magister, I have a lot of things to do and I am not always available to spend time with you, as much as I would like to.”

But Ben’s eyebrows were not showing any sing of lowering. “You’ve been a Magister for two years, it never stopped you from finding time.”

Rook had finally realized there was no way of walking out of that conversation. Just as with the rematch, there were possibilities in front of him. He could have insisted it was all Ben’s impression, he could have told Ben he was right but that it only had to do with Rook himself being tired. He could have told Ben that he did not trust himself around him anymore because he was scared of blurting everything out if he as much as looked at Ben’s face for too long.

“Ben…” he began.

“Don’t ‘Ben’ me” Ben interrupted him, getting up. He was taller than his sixteen years old self, Rook surpassing him only by his head, but the fire in Ben’s eyes was enough to made him feel like he hadn’t lost his tail yet. “I thought you were tired of being my partner and I…” the determination in his eyes faltered for a moment but was back just as quickly. “I get that, you know? Because I can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but you’re normal today so now I don’t know what to think.”

Rook did not have a response to that, not one that did not involve him confessing.

And there was it. Rook had never been the first to confess. He only ever accepted confessions from people who were bold enough to do it. He never had to confront with that kind of tension, never had to worry about getting rejected, not even with Rayona. She confessed first and Rook only had to reciprocate.

Ben was a whole other story. He was unpredictable and every time Rook thought he had him figured out, there he went doing something completely opposite from what Rook was expecting.

But maybe it was the reason he had grown to like Ben that much.

And maybe it wasn’t the right time to tell him so but, as Gwendolyn said, maybe it was never going to be and Rook only had to take his best chance with it.

“I am very sorry for avoiding you, I did not think it would have caused you so much stress.” he admitted.

Ben huffed a puff of air he had been holding, taken aback by Rook actually acknowledging it. “But why?”

His voice was quiet, this time, something that hardly ever happened. Rook felt his heart squeeze because Ben sounded _hurt_ and he was the cause of it.

He took a deep breath. Now or never, he told himself. “Because I have… developed deeper feelings for you and I wanted to make sense of it before telling you…”

“You what?”

Rook was not sure how Ben managed not to hear him, since they were barely three feet away. Blood was rushing in his ears and he wanted to just get over with it. “I have developed deeper feelings for…”

Ben shook his head. “No, I mean… Okay.”

Rook just stood there, arms dangling at his sides and heart beating in his throat. What did ‘okay’ mean? Rook wanted a quick, painless reaction, so that he could go back to basking into his own regret for their now ruined friendship. He pressed his lips together.

“Rook?”

“Yes?” His voice was embarrassingly unsure.

“Does this mean you like me?”

Stubbornly refusing to look at Ben in the face, this time he answered loud and clear, no point in denying it now. “Yes.”

He noticed Ben taking a small step in his direction and straightened up on reflex. “I am sorry for having put you in this situation right now, I will resign from this role and you will be able to find someone else more suitable as a partner.”

Again, Ben just moved closer to him without interrupting his speech. “I am thankful and honored because I was able to serve at your side for so long, you truly are the best hero this Universe could have hoped for.” He briefly smiled at the thought of all the adventures they lived together.

“Rook?”

Without an answer, Rook lifted his eyes form where they had been focused on a crack on the metal floor.

“Please don’t resign, I really don’t want to change partner” Ben started, even a little amused, like it was a joke to him. “I am still upset that you avoided me, but since I am the best hero of the Universe I forgive you and now you don’t have to leave.”

Rook let those words work their way in between layers of embarrassment and confusion, reaching deep inside him and igniting a bright flame of hope. He closed his eyes, pressing two fingers to his lids and dared to release a shaky breath. “I am under the impression that you are not rejecting me but I might need a confirmation, I do not trust my deductive thinking right now.”

Ben scoffed, a fond smile appearing on his face after his quiet laugh died. He extended his hand to Rook, silently asking for contact. “I’m not rejecting you.” His palm reached Rook’s arm, stroking it lightly to provide some physical comfort. “I like you too, I’m just very surprised and relieved I guess.”

Rook felt an unbearable weight being lifted from his shoulders and there were lots of thing he wanted to ask Ben but his brain did not seem to want to cooperate, only focusing on Ben’s last words. “Surprised and relieved?”

“Man, I thought you were tired of me not that you liked me!”

Rook dared to grin at that, feeling too giddy for it to be healthy. But he truly did not care right now. Ben liked him back and it was much more than he ever expected. “In my defence, it is true that you are not the most perceptive person when it comes to these matters.” Ben stopped gripping his arm only to lightly swat him on the stomach.

“You ignored me for weeks! What was I supposed to think?” He was pouting again, feigning offence.

Rook tried to pull him to himself and thanked his long arms for being able to do so without having to bend too much. Ben let himself be pulled forward, still sulky.

“It is not even been seven days and I have been developing these feelings since much prior, yet you never noticed” he reminded Ben.

“Okay, enough, you’re having too much fun making fun of me.” He turned his head away but kept looking at Rook with the corner of his eye and Rook just wanted to grab his cheeks, puffed up like a child, and maybe kiss him because that was what they did in humans’ movies, after the protagonists confessed to each other. And because, who was he kidding, he very much wanted to kiss Ben.

“Then I think you should find a way to silence me.”

It was likely that those movies had had some kind influence on him or it was just Ben’s presence (in front of him, with his hand on Rook’s arm) and the newfound knowledge of him liking Rook too that made his common sense become foggy, but Rook did not want to stop and think for once.

Ben’s head whipped to him again, undoubtedly catching the undertones of his words. Then, with a careful movement, Ben let his hand travel up to the back of Rook’s neck, fingers sliding through his fur and anchoring themselves there.

“Very good idea.”

Ben used his nape as leverage to make him lean down while tiptoeing and grabbing his other arm for balance. Rook’s arm came to circle his back in reflex. Soon after, Ben’s lips were on his and they were kissing.

He cupped Ben’s cheek with his other palm, smooth skin foreign and odd to the touch, and still so familiar and warm Rook just wanted to touch it more and forever.

Thinking back to it, it was a first kiss worth of its name. A little awkward because they still did not know where to place themselves around each other, a little awkward because Rook was aware that, even though his fur was shorter and thinner around his lip, Ben could still feel it and it probably felt weird for a human used to kiss other humans. Without a beard too. But Ben did not look like he was fazed in the slightest.

A good first kiss because it was nice, it was amazing and fulfilling to be able to hold the same person who had occupied his mind for months.

Ben leaned back just to smirk at him and Rook was reminded of the times when that smirk used to irritate him.

Without thinking too much, he brought his index finger to tap Ben’s nose, a light touch that had Ben scrunch it. Then he quickly rubbed it because it tickled and watched Rook with a confused look on his face. “Did you just… boop my nose?”

Rook flinched. He could not possibly reveal about his odd obsession with Ben’s nasal appendage and how it had been going on for years. “Ah… It’s a thing we do on Ravannah… to demonstrate affection” he said, making up a lie on the spot and cursing himself because of the contraction he used. Hopefully Ben would think it was just a slip-up due to nerves.

“That’s cute.” Ben rose up on his toes to kiss Rook again and tap his nose in return, then let himself slide back on his heels to watch him closely. “Now, can I sleep here or do you still want me to go back home?” His green irises sparkled, challenging Rook to make him go. As if Rook possessed the will to part from him right in that moment.

Rook rolled his eyes and faked an annoyed sigh. “You would not even if I tried.”

“Indeed, glad to hear you know me this well.” Ben slid his hand into his to intertwine their fingers together and it did not take him long to understand where Ben was pulling him towards.

He halted in his track. “Ben, are we headed to my room?”

Ben replied without looking at him. “Yeah dude, I don’t wanna sleep on the couch when you have a perfectly good bed.”

Again, Rook felt his ears get warmer. “You want to sleep in my bed?”

Ben turned to look at him. “Yeah? It’s not like I’ve never done that before, remember?”

Rook opened his mouth once, twice before shutting it. “I do, but you never slept there with me and we just confessed to each other and have not yet discussed about the nature of our relationship, I do not know if that would be appropriate” he said, once he was sure his voice was not going to betray him. It was mostly a matter of morals and ‘doing things the right way’, not an actual aversion to the thought sharing his bed with Ben.

Ben rolled his eyes at him, muttering something about him being ‘old fashioned’ except then he looked at him with what could only be described as a shy smile. “I just want to sleep and I wouldn’t mind sleeping in the same bed as you…”

For the first time that night he appeared to be as embarrassed as Rook felt, cheeks dusted red despite trying his best to hide it and Rook felt the remnants of uneasiness dissolve. He gathered his courage and squeezed Ben’s hand to communicate he had nothing to worry or be nervous about.

“Okay, then I would not mind that either…”

Ben took a step in his direction, using his free hand to place a finger between Rook’s nostrils. “And I also wouldn’t mind you being my boyfriend.”

Melting into a smile, Rook thought he had given Ben too much power with that nose thing. “I would like that.”

Ben smiled back at him and started to walk again, still holding Rook’s hand tight in his.

The next morning, Rook woke up with Ben curled into his side, and maybe it was not the time to admit it yet, but he could definitely get used to that.

*

!! BONUS !!

Rook should have been used to Ben sprawling himself upon every square inch of free mattress, despite there being two different sides. He did not mind, per se, unless Ben tried to take his space too.

He stirred with a grunt and attempted to push the sleeping body from upon himself, but gave up soon after because his position did not allow him to have enough leverage (and also because Ben had gotten heavier in the last year, after yet another growth spurt and his decision to hit the gym more often).

Rook laid back on his pillow, focusing on the rhythmic breathing of his partner, and boyfriend of two years, and decided not to disturb him. Instead he stroked his hair, lightly scratching his scalp and hoping he would wake up soon.

His wish was granted a few minutes later.

Ben rolled away from him, back arched to stretch after a night of sleeping in all the worst positions for his spine, then opened a bleary eye, smiling once he had adjusted to the light in the room. Rook did not think he would ever be able to resist that half-asleep smile of his.

He leaned forward to place small kisses all over his nose, alternating them with quick taps of his fingers, in that motion still able to make Ben scrunch it in a way Rook found extremely adorable.

Ben let him do his thing with a content sigh. “One day you’ll tell me why do you like my nose so much” he whispered, so quietly Rook thought he had imagined it.

“I thought I had already told you why I like to touch it.”

“Dude, save it, I never actually believed that” he revealed, comfortably placing his face into Rook’s neck and himself under Rook’s arm, sighing when he felt fingers caressing his bare back. “I’ve known you for four years now and no one in your family ever booped your nose or the other way around, not even Rayona.”

Rook held his breath at the sudden confession and his fingers stopped drawing patterns on Ben’s back, only to continue their movement after a few seconds, once the initial surprise had worn out. To be honest he was not even that surprised. With how observant Ben was, it was only wishful thinking that he had managed to trick him in the first place. He sighed in resignation. “You always knew” he grumbled.

Ben laughed heartily, a happy and comforting sound vibrating against Rook’s throat. “Mh-mh.” Ben got closer to him, one of his arms draped over Rook’s chest and the other curled against his side. “So tell me why you like it.”

“I just do” he finally admitted. “At first it was mostly curiosity, but then I started to grow fond of this strange piece of flesh.” Ben snickered at his choice of words, nuzzling further into his neck. “I find it especially endearing.”

“You, Blonko,” Ben used his first name and Rook felt a shiver run down his spine, while the other propped himself on his chest, framing his cheeks with his palms. “ _You_ are endearing.” Then he kissed him, long and deep.

Rook tightened his arm around him, a smile slightly tugging at the corners of his lips while he was being kissed. If only he had known Ben would react like that, he would have not waited that long to tell him.

They kissed for some more, enjoying the quiet warmth of the morning, until Ben moved away and, just by looking at the devious grin on his face, Rook knew that whatever Ben was about to say, he was not going to like it.

“I _so_ have to tell Gwen and Kevin”.

Rook’s eyes widened, well aware that nothing he could possibly say was going to make Ben change his mind, but that did not mean he could not at least try and save his dignity. “You would not dare.”

“Oh, you know I would…” Ben slid his leg up onto his hip and slowly placed himself fully on top of him, lips brushing his ear. “Maybe you just have to convince me not to.”

And yes, perhaps Rook could not say anything about it, but words were not going to be required for that particular matter.

**Author's Note:**

> Lovely [slowburnhana](https://slowburnhana.tumblr.com/) made [beautiful and soft art](https://slowburnhana.tumblr.com/post/636072221659578368/i-read-this-beautiful-fic-of-noses-and) for this story, please check them and their art out and give them lots of love!!
> 
> Hello again!!  
> This was hard to write and translate, but I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for reaching the end <3  
> I had fun writing it, and I hope the characters are not ooc, I tried my best.  
> Also I know nothing about capsaicin and bloody noses, the first one comes straight out of my imagination and I don't even know if it makes sense, and for the second one I just googled it and chose a mild nose injury, not too bland but also not too serious, hopefully it doesn't sound ridiculous (In my mind Ben turned into Fourarms and attempted to crush the knight's helm but got turned back to himself in the middle of it, that's why the knight is injured but Ben also is)  
> I couldn't help myself from adding bed cuddles because that's my brand and I just love writing about my otps being cute.  
> With this said, I will stop and just thank you again for reading and I hope you will leave a kudos or a comment, it would make me really happy 🥰  
> please stay safe and have a great rest of your day!!  
> L
> 
> ps: if you want, come talk to me on my [personal tumblr](https://argentoheart.tumblr.com/) and my [writing blog](https://argentkosmos.tumblr.com/) 💗


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